LSF Highlights Mental Health in Films and Series: A Push for More Empathetic and Educational Censorship

Jakarta, May 26, 2025 — Film Censorship Institution of The Republic of Indonesia (Lembaga Sensor Film) is turning its focus to how mental health is portrayed in movies, series, and digital content. This move comes in response to a surge in audiovisual works tackling themes like depression, anxiety, suicide, and trauma, many of which, LSF notes, are not always presented with the sensitivity and responsibility such topics demanded.

According to the LSF Chairman, mental health themes in film can serve as powerful educational tools but if handled carelessly or exploitatively, they also carry the risk of causing harm. “We want to ensure that depictions of mental health do not trigger harmful imitation, especially among teenagers and young adults.”

To address this, LSF is now working alongside psychologists, psychiatrists, and film experts to develop updated censorship guidelines for high-risk content. This includes scenes involving self-harm, suicide, and the romanticization or glorification of mental disorders.

In a recent public forum titled “Film, Censorship, and Mental Health: Where’s the Line?”, many participants expressed concern that some films can heighten anxiety or psychological discomfort. On the flip side, others noted that certain productions have helped audiences better understand the struggles of those living with mental health conditions, even fostering greater empathy.

LSF emphasized that the goal is to ensure they are portrayed in ways that are safe, respectful, and not trivialized or reduced to punchlines.

As a follow-up, LSF plans to introduce trigger warning labels for content containing sensitive mental health themes. It will also urge OTT platforms and production houses to include professional mental health resources at the end of such films.

“Film can heal but can also harm,” an LSF spokesperson stressed. “Censorship is not here to silence stories, but to ensure those stories have a healthy social impact instead”